Railroad track switch friction reducer



I March 19,1951

A. T. BRUMFIELD RAILROAD TRACK SWITCH FRICTION REDUCER Filed Jan. 7, 1953 INVENTOR U,n 'red States Patent I H v 2,785,835

TRACK SWITCH FRICTION REDUCER .k ibrose T. Brumfield, Glendive, Mont.

9 Application January 7, 1955, Serial No. 330,095

\ 4Claims. (01.246-453) This invfention relates to a novel attachment for use with sprin-ig, hand or power operated railroad switches to minimize: friction between the parts in the movement of a railr-ioad switch and to thereby reduce the amount of rower required to operate the switch, the amount tlr ivear to which the switch parts are subjected, and to miriirnize the-amount of lubricating required to maintain a switch in operating condition.

cgreatest amount of power is required during the last half of the movement of a switch between its extreme positionsof; movement and primarily due to the factthat during this movement the switch points are in frictionale ngagement with and riding up the riser plates. Accordingly," it is a primary object of the present invention to minimize this frictional contact of theswitch points with the riser plates and to additionally provide a. structure whereby the tie rod of the switch is supported midway of the switch rails by a movable fulcrum which is swinging downwardly during the last half of the movement of the switch toward either extreme position of its movement so that the weight of the switch parts will thus assist in the final movement of the switch and thereby additionally reduce the amount of power required in accomplishing this movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a friction reducer of extremely simple construction which may be readily applied to previously installed railway switches and which will efficiently function therewith to reduce the amount of power required to operate the switch by effecting a novel support of the switch parts during their movement.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a conventional railroad switch shown equipped with the friction reducer;

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional view thereof taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view partly in elevation showing a substantial portion of the invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, for the purpose of illustrating a preferred application and use of the switch attachment or friction reducer constituting the invention and designated generally 5, a portion of a conventional railroad switch has been illustrated including parallel main rails 6 and 7, supported on ties 8, and portions of two switch rails 9 and 10 which may be operated by any suitable hand or power mechanism. The switch rails 9 and 10 are connected at longitudinally spaced points by conventional tie rod units 11 which may be provided with suitable electrical installation. One of said tie rod units 11, as best illustrated in Figure 2, with which the friction reducer 5 is associated, is provided with attaching means 12 by which spaced portions of the tie rod are secured to the web portions of the switch rails 9 and 10, in overlying relationship to the base portions of said rails. As seen in Figure 2, the end portions of the tie rods 11 extend beneath and are normally spaced from the rails 6 and 7. In movement of the rails 9 and 10 into engagement with the main rails 6 and 7, respectively, the base portions of the switch rails 9 and 10 ride up riser plates 13 with which said base portions frictionally engage. Considerable frictional contact results in this movement requiring considerable power in the final movement of the switch to either extreme of its movement and frequent and adequate lubrication must be provided between the frictionally engaging parts in order to maintain the switch in an operable condition and to reduce wear.

The switch attachment or friction reducer 5 comprises a hanger bridge 14 having upwardly offset ends 15 which rest on the intermediate portions of adjacent ties 8 and which are suitably secured thereto as by fastenings 16. A downwardly olfset intermediate portion 17 of the hanger bridge 14 is located directly beneath an intermediate part of the tie rod unit 11 which includes a bottom coupling strap or bar 18. Said intermediate bridge portion 17, as best seen in Figure 4, is provided with an upwardly opening depression 19 inwhich the lower half of a ball 20 is seated. A detachable socket section 21 is secured on the bridge portion 17 by fastenings 22 and combines with the depression 19 to form a socket constituting more than a half sphere for turnably confining the ball 20 therein. A hollow stem 23 is fixed to or formed integral with the ball 20 and extends therefrom through a large central opening 24 of the socket section 21, in which said stem 23 is swingably disposed.

The bottom connector bar 18 of the tie rod unit 11 is provided with a downwardly opening depression 25,

corresponding to the depression 19 and associated with a detachable socket section 26, corresponding to the socket section 21 and which is secured to the underside of the bar 18 by fastenings 27. The socket 25, 26 defines more than a half circle to turnably retain a spherical head 28 which is formed on one end of a threaded rod 29. The rod 29 extends downwardly from the head 28 and is swingably movable in a relatively large opening 30 of the socket section 26. The lower portion of the rod 29 loosely engages in the tubular stem 23, which parts 23 and 29 combine to form a post of variable length having sperical ends 20 and 28 turnably disposed in the sockets 19, 21 and 25, 26, respectively. A jamb nut 31 is carried by the threaded rod 29 to adjustably limit displacement of the rod 29 into the stem 23.

The lower part of the movable fulcrum is preferably enclosed by a dirt and moisture-proof cover 32, the top part of which rests upon the upper end of the hollow stem 23 and has the rod 29 extending through an opening 33 thereof, and the flared open lower ,end 34 of which is disposed on the bottom socket section 21 and secured thereagainst by the fastenings 22. The nut 31 is disposed above the upper portion of the cover 32 to limit upward movement of the upper end of the cover. The cover 32 may be formed of any suitable flexible material which is substantially moisture and dirt proof. The sockets containing the balls 20 and 28, particularly the bottom socket, are preferably lubricated with a heavy grease to minimize maintenance. The friction reducer 5 may be applied to different ones of the tie rod units 11 depending upon the type of mechanism employed for operating the switch. The nut 31 is adjusted to limit the extent that the rod 25 may slide into the tube 23 for supporting the tie rod unit 11 at a desired elevation when said tie rod unit and the switch rails 9 and 10 are midway of their extremes of movement and when the movable fulcrum is in an upright position, as seen in Figure 4.

Assuming that the friction reducer has been adjusted to maintain the rod 29 in a properly extended position, when the switch actuating mechanism is operated to cornmence movement of the switch from one extreme to the other of its movement, for example from its position as illustrated in Figure 1 and wherein the switch rail 10 is engaging or substantially engaging the rail 7, as the rails 9 and 10 commence to move from left to right as seen in Figure 2, the rod 29 will slide into the tubular stem 23 until further inward displacement of the rod into said stem is prevented by the adjustable stop nut 31. Thereafter and as the movable fulcrum or post 23, 29 continues to swing from left to right as seen in Figure 2, to an upright position as seen in Figure 4, the tie rod unit 11 will be lifted to likewise lift the switch rails 9 and 10 out of engagement with the wear plates 13. The switch rails 9 and 10 will be raised out of frictional engagement with the wear plates 13 before the post 23, 29 has reached its upright position of Figure 4 and the friction reducer 5 will in fact support the tie rod unit and switch rails after only a slight movement thereof from their positions of Figures 1 and 2. As the parts swing and move from their positions of Figure 2 to and switch to continue its left to right movement supported by the attachment 5 and until the right hand end of the switch rail 9, as seen in Figure 1, approaches the rail 6. As the switch rail 9 approaches the rail 6 the socket 25, 26 will have moved a sufiicient distance away from the socket 19, 21 so that the extensible post 23, 29 will no longer support the switch and the rod 29 will slide outwardly of the stem 23 as the switch rail 9 moves into engagement with the main rail 6. However, the momentum afforded by the weight of the switch supported on the movable fulcrum after it has passed its dead center position will be suffieient so that very little additional force will be required to move the switch rail 9 into engagement with the rail 6. Obviously, the operation is the same for movement of the switch in the opposite direction to position the rail 10 in engagement with main rail 7. Thus, the friction reducer or switch attachment 5 eliminates the need for an excessive amount of power or force in the final movement of a switch rail into engagement with a main rail and when the switch rail is in frictional contact with and sliding up a wear plate 13. Considerably less force is required in the movement of a switch rail away from the main rail and when its movement is down a wear plate and after the initial stage of this movement the friction eliminator becomes operative to support the switch during the remainder of its movement and until the other switch rail is substantially in engagement with the other main rail.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A friction reducing attachment for a railroad switch comprising a bridge member adapted to be secured at its ends to the upper surfaces of two adjacent railroad ties and having a downwardly offset intermediate portion adapted to be disposed between said ties, a fulcrum com;- prising a supporting post mounted on and rising fronh said intermediate bridge portion, means supporting --a lower end of said post for rocking movement on said intermediate bridge portion, a railway switch tie rod limit having an intermediate portion disposed above said {post and end portions adapted to be secured to a paiir of switch rails, and means pivotally connecting an upper end of said fulcrum post to said intermediate position of the tie rod unit for supporting said tie rod unit r' and the switch rails during a portion of the movemeant of the switch rails between different switching posit rions, said fulcrum post being formed of telescopically connected sections, and a stop member adjustably positioned on one of said sections and engaging the other' section to limit retraction of the fulcrum post.

2. A friction reducing attachment as in clz im 1, one of said post sections comprising a threaded rod, said other post section comprising a hollow stem=. in Which one end of said rod threadably fits, and said a'g'ustable stop comprising a nut mounted on the threaded read and adjustable thereon and engageable with said end 0- the hollow stem for limiting movement of said rod end in;

wardly of the hollow stem.

3. A friction reducing attachment for a railroad switch comprising a bridge member adapted to be secured at its ends to the upper surfaces of two adjacent railroad ties and having a downwardly offset intermediate portion adapted to be disposed between said ties, a fulcrum comprising a supporting post mounted on and rising from said intermediate bridge portion, means supporting a lower end of said post for rocking movement on said intermediate bridge portion, a railway switch tie rod unit having an intermediate portion disposed above said post and end portions adapted to be secured to a pair of switch rails, and means pivotally connecting an upper end of said fulcrum post to said intermediate portion of the tie rod unit for supporting said tie rod unit and the switch rails during a portion of the movement of the switch rails between different switching positions, said means supporting the post for rocking movement comprising a ball and socket joint including a ball formed on the lower end of said fulcrum post and 'a socket having a bottom section formed by a part of said intermediate bridge portion and a detachably upper section.

4. A friction reducing attachment as in claim 3, said pivotal means comprising a ball and socket connection including a ball formed on the upper end of the fulcrum post and a socket having an upper portion formed by a depression in said intermediate portion of the tie rod unit and a bottom section detachably connected to said portion of the tie rod unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 305,275 Bivott Sept. 16, 1884 470,668 Fisher Mar. 15, 1892 704,403 Thill July 8, 1902 845,513 Bullard Feb. 26, 1907 1,425,730 Whitted Aug. 15, 1922 2,288,160 Flumerfelt June 30, 1942 2,324,622 Hewes Jan. 29, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 142 Great Britain Jan. 14, 1875 of Jan. 1875 148,583 Great Britain 'Aug. 5, 1920 

